Introduction
In the final semester of my masters, I began a project analysing various aspects of the accessibility of Negro Leagues data. The code for that project is available through my GitHub.
There were a few things that I wanted to explore through that project, one of which was finding the MLB season with the greatest number of Negro Leagues players. I figured this to be the 1955 season when 36 Negro Leagues players were also playing for MLB teams. This works out to an average of 2.25 Negro Leaguers per MLB team (16 MLB teams in 1955 as opposed to the 30 currently in existence). However, it should be noted that not every team had integrated by this point. For instance, the Boston Red Sox did not integrate until 1959. Twelve years after Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby made their debuts for Brooklyn and Cleveland respectively. Additionally, I figured the greatest number of Negro Leagues players on any one roster for the 1955 season was 6, with the Brooklyn, Cleveland, and Milwaukee teams each carrying that number of players. It should be noted that these were not all necessarily distinct individuals, as some of these players moved between teams.
Given that expanded MLB rosters are set to 40 players, I have been curious as to who would be on a team consisting of the 36 1955 Negro Leagues MLB players. Specifically, who might be selected to be on the 25-man active roster. Twenty-five because that’s the traditional number for this period of baseball. Although, with the new CBA this would be up to 26 players.
This isn’t an exploration of who would be on the roster of a team consisting of the greatest Negro Leagues players to also play on MLB teams. Nor is it an exploration of who were the greatest Negro Leagues players to not play for MLB teams. Instead, I am only curious as to who might be on a roster consisting of only those Negro Leagues players active in the 1955 MLB season.
I’m curious if despite there being enough players to field an active roster, would there be enough positional coverage to field a whole team? And if not, what positions are lacking in coverage and which have the most talent?
The 1955 Negro Leagues MLB Players
Below is a table of all 36 Negro League players who played in the 1955 MLB season. Included is both the player’s bWAR and fWAR for the season with the difference between the two stats. bWAR being Baseball Reference’s version of WAR and fWAR being FanGraphs version. WAR, for those unfamiliar, stands for Wins Above Replacement and is a statistical approximation of a player’s contributions to their team(s). It can be useful when comparing players. However, as with any stat, WAR is not all encompassing and should really be used in conjunction with other stats when fully evaluating a player. But, I’m just going to do a quick and dirty analysis here.
I’ve included both bWAR and fWAR as they are calculated differently and I find it useful to compare the two. I won’t get into the calculation differences here, but it’s an interesting look into how the values of those doing the calculations influence the outcome. If interested, you can read FanGraphs' explainer on WAR here, and Baseball Reference’s explainer here.
To give a brief primer on the use of WAR, you would read the stat for Henry Aaron as stating he was worth 6.2 wins to his team above a replacement player. Typically either a high-class minor leaguer or bench player.
For those of you familiar with baseball, there should be some pretty notable names in the table.
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron | Henry | R | R | RF | 1B | NA | Yes | 6.2 | 5.9 | 0.3 |
| Alston | Tom | L | R | 1B | NA | NA | No | -0.1 | -0.1 | 0.0 |
| Amoros | Sandy | L | L | LF | NA | NA | No | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
| Baker | Gene | R | R | 2B | 3B | SS | Yes | 2.8 | 2.5 | 0.3 |
| Banks | Ernie | R | R | 1B | SS | NA | Yes | 8.2 | 7.8 | 0.4 |
| Black | Joe | R | R | P | NA | NA | No | 0.4 | 1.9 | 1.5 |
| Bruton | Billy | L | R | CF | NA | NA | No | 2.4 | 2.4 | 0.0 |
| Campanella | Roy | R | R | C | NA | NA | Yes | 5.2 | 5.7 | 0.5 |
| Clarke | Webbo | L | L | P | NA | NA | No | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| Crowe | George | L | L | 1B | NA | NA | No | 1.8 | 1.8 | 0.0 |
| Doby | Larry | L | R | CF | 2B | NA | Yes | 3.7 | 4.2 | 0.5 |
| Donoso | Lino | L | L | P | NA | NA | No | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Gilliam | Jim | B | R | 2B | 3B | LF | No | 3.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 |
| Harmon | Chuck | R | R | 3B | LF | 1B | No | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Harrell | Billy | R | R | SS | 3B | 2B | No | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Howard | Elston | R | R | C | LF | 1B | No | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Irvin | Monte | R | R | LF | 1B | SS | No | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Johnson | Connie | R | R | P | NA | NA | No | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.5 |
| Jones | Sam | R | R | P | NA | NA | Yes | 3.2 | 2.3 | 0.9 |
| Mays | Willie | R | R | CF | NA | NA | Yes | 9.1 | 9.0 | 0.1 |
| Minoso | Minnie | R | R | LF | 3B | NA | No | 3.7 | 4.1 | 0.4 |
| Newcombe | Don | L | R | P | NA | NA | Yes | 2.9 | 4.6 | 1.7 |
| Paula | Carlos | R | R | RF | NA | NA | No | -1.2 | -0.8 | 0.4 |
| Pendleton | Jim | R | R | OF | SS | NA | No | -0.2 | -0.2 | 0.0 |
| Pope | Dave | L | R | OF | NA | NA | No | 0.1 | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| Roberts | Curt | R | R | 2B | SS | NA | No | -0.2 | -0.1 | 0.1 |
| Robinson | Jackie | R | R | 2B | 3B | 1B | No | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 |
| Santiago | Jose | R | R | P | NA | NA | No | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.6 |
| Simpson | Harry | L | R | OF | 1B | NA | No | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.2 |
| Smith | Milt | R | R | 3B | 2B | NA | No | -0.4 | -0.2 | 0.2 |
| Smith | Al | R | R | OF | 3B | NA | Yes | 4.7 | 5.0 | 0.3 |
| Thompson | Hank | L | R | 3B | OF | 2B | No | 2.7 | 2.5 | 0.2 |
| Thurman | Bob | L | L | OF | P | NA | No | -0.4 | -0.2 | 0.2 |
| Trice | Bob | R | R | P | RF | NA | No | -0.3 | -0.5 | 0.2 |
| Vargas | Roberto | L | L | P | NA | NA | No | -1.4 | -0.4 | 1.0 |
| White | Charlie | L | R | C | NA | NA | No | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Position Tables
I’ve divided the players into the positions they played across their careers as opposed to just the ‘55 season. To field an active roster this needed to be done. Otherwise, some greats would be excluded due to conflicting positionality. For instance, in ‘55 Larry Doby played primarily in the outfield; however, this puts him up against players like Willie Mays or Henry Aaron. And, as you will see, there is a plethora of outfielders.
If a player played more than one position, then they appear in the table for each position they played. I listed the positions for each player in order that the positions appear on the player’s Baseball Reference page, not necessarily the order for which they were known or for which they played the most games in the ‘55 season.
Pitchers
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | Joe | R | R | P | NA | NA | 0 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 1.5 |
| Clarke | Webbo | L | L | P | NA | NA | 0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| Donoso | Lino | L | L | P | NA | NA | 0 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Johnson | Connie | R | R | P | NA | NA | 0 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.5 |
| Jones | Sam | R | R | P | NA | NA | 1 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 0.9 |
| Newcombe | Don | L | R | P | NA | NA | 1 | 2.9 | 4.6 | 1.7 |
| Santiago | Jose | R | R | P | NA | NA | 0 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.6 |
| Thurman | Bob | L | L | OF | P | NA | 0 | -0.4 | -0.2 | 0.2 |
| Trice | Bob | R | R | P | RF | NA | 0 | -0.3 | -0.5 | 0.2 |
| Vargas | Roberto | L | L | P | NA | NA | 0 | -1.4 | -0.4 | 1.0 |
Catchers
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campanella | Roy | R | R | C | NA | NA | 1 | 5.2 | 5.7 | 0.5 |
| Howard | Elston | R | R | C | LF | 1B | 0 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| White | Charlie | L | R | C | NA | NA | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First Base
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron | Henry | R | R | RF | 1B | NA | 1 | 6.2 | 5.9 | 0.3 |
| Alston | Tom | L | R | 1B | NA | NA | 0 | -0.1 | -0.1 | 0.0 |
| Banks | Ernie | R | R | 1B | SS | NA | 1 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 0.4 |
| Crowe | George | L | L | 1B | NA | NA | 0 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 0.0 |
| Harmon | Chuck | R | R | 3B | LF | 1B | 0 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Howard | Elston | R | R | C | LF | 1B | 0 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Irvin | Monte | R | R | LF | 1B | SS | 0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Robinson | Jackie | R | R | 2B | 3B | 1B | 0 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 |
| Simpson | Harry | L | R | OF | 1B | NA | 0 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.2 |
Second Base
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker | Gene | R | R | 2B | 3B | SS | 1 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 0.3 |
| Doby | Larry | L | R | CF | 2B | NA | 1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 0.5 |
| Gilliam | Jim | B | R | 2B | 3B | LF | 0 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 |
| Harrell | Billy | R | R | SS | 3B | 2B | 0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Roberts | Curt | R | R | 2B | SS | NA | 0 | -0.2 | -0.1 | 0.1 |
| Robinson | Jackie | R | R | 2B | 3B | 1B | 0 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 |
| Smith | Milt | R | R | 3B | 2B | NA | 0 | -0.4 | -0.2 | 0.2 |
| Thompson | Hank | L | R | 3B | OF | 2B | 0 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 0.2 |
Third Base
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker | Gene | R | R | 2B | 3B | SS | 1 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 0.3 |
| Gilliam | Jim | B | R | 2B | 3B | LF | 0 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 |
| Harmon | Chuck | R | R | 3B | LF | 1B | 0 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Harrell | Billy | R | R | SS | 3B | 2B | 0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Minoso | Minnie | R | R | LF | 3B | NA | 0 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 0.4 |
| Robinson | Jackie | R | R | 2B | 3B | 1B | 0 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 |
| Smith | Milt | R | R | 3B | 2B | NA | 0 | -0.4 | -0.2 | 0.2 |
| Smith | Al | R | R | OF | 3B | NA | 1 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 0.3 |
| Thompson | Hank | L | R | 3B | OF | 2B | 0 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 0.2 |
Shortstop
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker | Gene | R | R | 2B | 3B | SS | 1 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 0.3 |
| Banks | Ernie | R | R | 1B | SS | NA | 1 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 0.4 |
| Harrell | Billy | R | R | SS | 3B | 2B | 0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Irvin | Monte | R | R | LF | 1B | SS | 0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Pendleton | Jim | R | R | OF | SS | NA | 0 | -0.2 | -0.2 | 0.0 |
| Roberts | Curt | R | R | 2B | SS | NA | 0 | -0.2 | -0.1 | 0.1 |
Left Field
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amoros | Sandy | L | L | LF | NA | NA | 0 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
| Gilliam | Jim | B | R | 2B | 3B | LF | 0 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 |
| Harmon | Chuck | R | R | 3B | LF | 1B | 0 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Howard | Elston | R | R | C | LF | 1B | 0 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Irvin | Monte | R | R | LF | 1B | SS | 0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Minoso | Minnie | R | R | LF | 3B | NA | 0 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 0.4 |
| Pendleton | Jim | R | R | OF | SS | NA | 0 | -0.2 | -0.2 | 0.0 |
| Pope | Dave | L | R | OF | NA | NA | 0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| Simpson | Harry | L | R | OF | 1B | NA | 0 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.2 |
| Smith | Al | R | R | OF | 3B | NA | 1 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 0.3 |
| Thompson | Hank | L | R | 3B | OF | 2B | 0 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 0.2 |
| Thurman | Bob | L | L | OF | P | NA | 0 | -0.4 | -0.2 | 0.2 |
Centre Field
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruton | Billy | L | R | CF | NA | NA | 0 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 0.0 |
| Doby | Larry | L | R | CF | 2B | NA | 1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 0.5 |
| Mays | Willie | R | R | CF | NA | NA | 1 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 0.1 |
| Pendleton | Jim | R | R | OF | SS | NA | 0 | -0.2 | -0.2 | 0.0 |
| Pope | Dave | L | R | OF | NA | NA | 0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| Simpson | Harry | L | R | OF | 1B | NA | 0 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.2 |
| Smith | Al | R | R | OF | 3B | NA | 1 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 0.3 |
| Thompson | Hank | L | R | 3B | OF | 2B | 0 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 0.2 |
| Thurman | Bob | L | L | OF | P | NA | 0 | -0.4 | -0.2 | 0.2 |
Right Field
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron | Henry | R | R | RF | 1B | NA | 1 | 6.2 | 5.9 | 0.3 |
| Paula | Carlos | R | R | RF | NA | NA | 0 | -1.2 | -0.8 | 0.4 |
| Pendleton | Jim | R | R | OF | SS | NA | 0 | -0.2 | -0.2 | 0.0 |
| Pope | Dave | L | R | OF | NA | NA | 0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| Simpson | Harry | L | R | OF | 1B | NA | 0 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.2 |
| Smith | Al | R | R | OF | 3B | NA | 1 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 0.3 |
| Thompson | Hank | L | R | 3B | OF | 2B | 0 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 0.2 |
| Thurman | Bob | L | L | OF | P | NA | 0 | -0.4 | -0.2 | 0.2 |
| Trice | Bob | R | R | P | RF | NA | 0 | -0.3 | -0.5 | 0.2 |
Light on Pitchers, Plenty of Outfielders
The pitching staff is pretty light in terms of numbers. While there are some great names there, it unfortunately is not a staff composed for a full season of games. Meaning, that despite there being enough players to field a 25-man, or even 26-man, active roster there is not enough positional coverage.
I’m not exactly sure of the reason for this dearth of pitching, but it’s definitely piqued my interest as to whether this was common across other seasons as well. It was not as if the Negro Leagues was lacking for amazing pitchers. Perhaps, because it was not entirely uncommon for Negro Leagues players who pitched to also play other positions MLB teams focussed primarily on non-pitching positions and associated skills.
Alternatively, as I noted, there are plenty of outfielder on the roster. This may be because the perceived degree of difficulty in playing the outfield led many of these players to be positioned there or moved to the outfield at some point in their careers. It’s a common enough practice now that it’s not overly surprising.
The Roster
Because there are fewer than 40 players, I’ve only focused on constructing a 25-man roster. Ignoring the issue of pitchers and instead imagining a short starting rotation. What this means is that I’ve taken every player who has pitcher listed in any of their positions as a pitcher.
To get down to 25 players, I only needed to “cut” 11 players. For this I chose, Tom Alston, George Crowe, Chuck Harmon, Billy Harrell, Carlos Paula, Jim Pendleton, Dave Pope, Curt Roberts, Harry Simpson, Milt Smith, and Charlie White.
My reasoning behind these players? There were other players with better stats who could play the same or more positions. For instance, I went with Jackie Robinson over George Crowe simply because Jackie could cover other positions beyond 1B despite George having better offensive stats.
I’ve also included the team bWAR and fWAR in the roster table.
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR | teambWAR | teamfWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron | Henry | R | R | RF | 1B | NA | Yes | 6.2 | 5.9 | 0.3 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Amoros | Sandy | L | L | LF | NA | NA | No | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Baker | Gene | R | R | 2B | 3B | SS | Yes | 2.8 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Banks | Ernie | R | R | 1B | SS | NA | Yes | 8.2 | 7.8 | 0.4 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Black | Joe | R | R | P | NA | NA | No | 0.4 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Bruton | Billy | L | R | CF | NA | NA | No | 2.4 | 2.4 | 0.0 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Campanella | Roy | R | R | C | NA | NA | Yes | 5.2 | 5.7 | 0.5 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Clarke | Webbo | L | L | P | NA | NA | No | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Doby | Larry | L | R | CF | 2B | NA | Yes | 3.7 | 4.2 | 0.5 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Donoso | Lino | L | L | P | NA | NA | No | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Gilliam | Jim | B | R | 2B | 3B | LF | No | 3.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Howard | Elston | R | R | C | LF | 1B | No | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Irvin | Monte | R | R | LF | 1B | SS | No | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Johnson | Connie | R | R | P | NA | NA | No | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Jones | Sam | R | R | P | NA | NA | Yes | 3.2 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Mays | Willie | R | R | CF | NA | NA | Yes | 9.1 | 9.0 | 0.1 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Minoso | Minnie | R | R | LF | 3B | NA | No | 3.7 | 4.1 | 0.4 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Newcombe | Don | L | R | P | NA | NA | Yes | 2.9 | 4.6 | 1.7 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Robinson | Jackie | R | R | 2B | 3B | 1B | No | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Santiago | Jose | R | R | P | NA | NA | No | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Smith | Al | R | R | OF | 3B | NA | Yes | 4.7 | 5.0 | 0.3 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Thompson | Hank | L | R | 3B | OF | 2B | No | 2.7 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Thurman | Bob | L | L | OF | P | NA | No | -0.4 | -0.2 | 0.2 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Trice | Bob | R | R | P | RF | NA | No | -0.3 | -0.5 | 0.2 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
| Vargas | Roberto | L | L | P | NA | NA | No | -1.4 | -0.4 | 1.0 | 66.4 | 65.7 |
Some Stats
I’ve included some pitching and hitting stats as well. Data for these was pulled from the Batting and Pitching datasets in Lahman R package. Some recalculations of pitching stats was needed due to having to combine data points for players who appeared more than once. For instance, Joe Black played for more than one team in 1955 and had individual rows for each team. To have a better idea of his season stats I combined those rows, which required having to recalculate his ERA (Earned Run Average).
Pitching
Pitching is an excellent example of the differences in how WAR is calculated, and why using WAR alone is not a great assessment of a player’s abilities. For instance, the difference between Don Newcombe’s WAR is 1.7 wins. The reason for this is that fWAR values FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) more than bWAR does. As the saying goes, the better WAR is the one that supports your argument.
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IPouts | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | IBB | WP | HBP | BK | BFP | GF | R | SH | SF | GIDP | ERA | WHIP | FIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | Joe | R | R | P | NA | NA | 0 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 6 | 2 | 38 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 353 | 121 | 53 | 14 | 30 | 63 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 501 | 15 | 63 | NA | NA | NA | 4.05 | 1.28 | 3.61 |
| Clarke | Webbo | L | L | P | NA | NA | 0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 17 | 11 | 2 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 93 | 5 | 11 | NA | NA | NA | 4.65 | 1.46 | 4.72 |
| Donoso | Lino | L | L | P | NA | NA | 0 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 4 | 6 | 25 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 285 | 106 | 56 | 16 | 35 | 38 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 418 | 10 | 58 | NA | NA | NA | 5.31 | 1.48 | 4.89 |
| Johnson | Connie | R | R | P | NA | NA | 0 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 7 | 4 | 17 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 297 | 95 | 38 | 5 | 52 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 436 | 0 | 40 | NA | NA | NA | 3.45 | 1.48 | 3.18 |
| Jones | Sam | R | R | P | NA | NA | 1 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 14 | 20 | 36 | 34 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 725 | 175 | 110 | 22 | 185 | 198 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 1070 | 1 | 118 | NA | NA | NA | 4.10 | 1.49 | 4.38 |
| Newcombe | Don | L | R | P | NA | NA | 1 | 2.9 | 4.6 | 1.7 | 20 | 5 | 34 | 31 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 701 | 222 | 83 | 35 | 38 | 143 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 943 | 1 | 103 | NA | NA | NA | 3.20 | 1.11 | 3.59 |
| Santiago | Jose | R | R | P | NA | NA | 0 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 31 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 146 | 6 | 11 | NA | NA | NA | 2.48 | 1.38 | 3.35 |
| Thurman | Bob | L | L | OF | P | NA | 0 | -0.4 | -0.2 | 0.2 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Trice | Bob | R | R | P | RF | NA | 0 | -0.3 | -0.5 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 2 | 13 | NA | NA | NA | 9.00 | 2.00 | 8.97 |
| Vargas | Roberto | L | L | P | NA | NA | 0 | -1.4 | -0.4 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 74 | 39 | 24 | 4 | 14 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 128 | 7 | 25 | NA | NA | NA | 8.74 | 2.15 | 5.24 |
Hitting
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR | G | AB | R | H | X1B | X2B | X3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | IBB | HBP | SH | SF | GIDP | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron | Henry | R | R | RF | 1B | NA | 1 | 6.2 | 5.9 | 0.3 | 153 | 602 | 105 | 189 | 116 | 37 | 9 | 27 | 106 | 3 | 1 | 49 | 61 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 20 | 0.366 | 0.540 | 0.906 |
| Alston | Tom | L | R | 1B | NA | NA | 0 | -0.1 | -0.1 | 0.0 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.125 | 0.125 | 0.250 |
| Amoros | Sandy | L | L | LF | NA | NA | 0 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 119 | 388 | 59 | 96 | 63 | 16 | 7 | 10 | 51 | 10 | 5 | 55 | 45 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 0.347 | 0.402 | 0.749 |
| Baker | Gene | R | R | 2B | 3B | SS | 1 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 154 | 609 | 82 | 163 | 116 | 29 | 7 | 11 | 52 | 9 | 7 | 49 | 57 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 3 | 14 | 0.323 | 0.392 | 0.715 |
| Banks | Ernie | R | R | 1B | SS | NA | 1 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 0.4 | 154 | 596 | 98 | 176 | 94 | 29 | 9 | 44 | 117 | 9 | 3 | 45 | 72 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 0.345 | 0.596 | 0.941 |
| Black | Joe | R | R | P | NA | NA | 0 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 38 | 33 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.147 | 0.121 | 0.268 |
| Bruton | Billy | L | R | CF | NA | NA | 0 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 0.0 | 149 | 636 | 106 | 175 | 124 | 30 | 12 | 9 | 47 | 25 | 11 | 43 | 72 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.325 | 0.403 | 0.728 |
| Campanella | Roy | R | R | C | NA | NA | 1 | 5.2 | 5.7 | 0.5 | 123 | 446 | 81 | 142 | 89 | 20 | 1 | 32 | 107 | 2 | 3 | 56 | 41 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 0.395 | 0.583 | 0.978 |
| Clarke | Webbo | L | L | P | NA | NA | 0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.167 | 0.167 | 0.334 |
| Crowe | George | L | L | 1B | NA | NA | 0 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 104 | 303 | 41 | 85 | 54 | 12 | 4 | 15 | 55 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 44 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0.374 | 0.495 | 0.869 |
| Doby | Larry | L | R | CF | 2B | NA | 1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 0.5 | 131 | 491 | 91 | 143 | 95 | 17 | 5 | 26 | 75 | 2 | 0 | 61 | 100 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0.369 | 0.505 | 0.874 |
| Donoso | Lino | L | L | P | NA | NA | 0 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 25 | 27 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0.185 | 0.185 | 0.370 |
| Gilliam | Jim | B | R | 2B | 3B | LF | 0 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 147 | 538 | 110 | 134 | 99 | 20 | 8 | 7 | 40 | 15 | 15 | 70 | 37 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 8 | 0.341 | 0.355 | 0.696 |
| Harmon | Chuck | R | R | 3B | LF | 1B | 0 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 96 | 198 | 31 | 50 | 36 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 28 | 9 | 9 | 26 | 24 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0.345 | 0.389 | 0.734 |
| Harrell | Billy | R | R | SS | 3B | 2B | 0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 13 | 19 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.500 | 0.421 | 0.921 |
| Howard | Elston | R | R | C | LF | 1B | 0 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 97 | 279 | 33 | 81 | 56 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 36 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0.336 | 0.477 | 0.813 |
| Irvin | Monte | R | R | LF | 1B | SS | 0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 51 | 150 | 16 | 38 | 29 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0.337 | 0.333 | 0.670 |
| Johnson | Connie | R | R | P | NA | NA | 0 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 19 | 33 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0.147 | 0.212 | 0.359 |
| Jones | Sam | R | R | P | NA | NA | 1 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 36 | 77 | 2 | 14 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0.212 | 0.195 | 0.407 |
| Mays | Willie | R | R | CF | NA | NA | 1 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 0.1 | 152 | 580 | 123 | 185 | 103 | 18 | 13 | 51 | 127 | 24 | 4 | 79 | 60 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 0.400 | 0.659 | 1.059 |
| Minoso | Minnie | R | R | LF | 3B | NA | 0 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 0.4 | 139 | 517 | 79 | 149 | 106 | 26 | 7 | 10 | 70 | 19 | 8 | 76 | 43 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 18 | 0.387 | 0.424 | 0.811 |
| Newcombe | Don | L | R | P | NA | NA | 1 | 2.9 | 4.6 | 1.7 | 57 | 117 | 18 | 42 | 25 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.395 | 0.632 | 1.027 |
| Paula | Carlos | R | R | RF | NA | NA | 0 | -1.2 | -0.8 | 0.4 | 115 | 351 | 34 | 105 | 72 | 20 | 7 | 6 | 45 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 43 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0.332 | 0.447 | 0.779 |
| Pendleton | Jim | R | R | OF | SS | NA | 0 | -0.2 | -0.2 | 0.0 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Pope | Dave | L | R | OF | NA | NA | 0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 121 | 326 | 38 | 86 | 62 | 13 | 4 | 7 | 52 | 5 | 2 | 28 | 65 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0.325 | 0.393 | 0.718 |
| Roberts | Curt | R | R | 2B | SS | NA | 0 | -0.2 | -0.1 | 0.1 | 6 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.211 | 0.176 | 0.387 |
| Robinson | Jackie | R | R | 2B | 3B | 1B | 0 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 105 | 317 | 51 | 81 | 65 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 36 | 12 | 3 | 61 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 0.378 | 0.363 | 0.741 |
| Santiago | Jose | R | R | P | NA | NA | 0 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.600 | 0.500 | 1.100 |
| Simpson | Harry | L | R | OF | 1B | NA | 0 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 115 | 397 | 43 | 119 | 91 | 16 | 7 | 5 | 52 | 3 | 5 | 36 | 61 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 0.358 | 0.413 | 0.771 |
| Smith | Milt | R | R | 3B | 2B | NA | 0 | -0.4 | -0.2 | 0.2 | 36 | 102 | 15 | 20 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0.293 | 0.333 | 0.626 |
| Smith | Al | R | R | OF | 3B | NA | 1 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 0.3 | 154 | 607 | 123 | 186 | 133 | 27 | 4 | 22 | 77 | 11 | 6 | 93 | 77 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 0.407 | 0.473 | 0.880 |
| Thompson | Hank | L | R | 3B | OF | 2B | 0 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 135 | 432 | 65 | 106 | 75 | 13 | 1 | 17 | 63 | 2 | 2 | 84 | 56 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 0.367 | 0.398 | 0.765 |
| Thurman | Bob | L | L | OF | P | NA | 0 | -0.4 | -0.2 | 0.2 | 82 | 152 | 19 | 33 | 21 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0.296 | 0.408 | 0.704 |
| Trice | Bob | R | R | P | RF | NA | 0 | -0.3 | -0.5 | 0.2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.667 | 0.667 | 1.334 |
| Vargas | Roberto | L | L | P | NA | NA | 0 | -1.4 | -0.4 | 1.0 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.500 | 0.500 | 1.000 |
| White | Charlie | L | R | C | NA | NA | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12 | 30 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.361 | 0.267 | 0.628 |
Depth Chart
Rotation
The rotation and bullpen are both pretty well set due to the limitations of players who are pitchers. Despite this, I’ve still thought it worthwhile to divide the groups. That being said, it’s a pretty good rotation with Don Newcombe and Sam Jones leading the way. I’ve included Connie Johnson and Joe Black for the number of games they started and the number of innings pitched. Despite those not matching the numbers of either Newcombe or Jones.
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IPouts | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | IBB | WP | HBP | BK | BFP | GF | R | SH | SF | GIDP | ERA | WHIP | FIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newcombe | Don | L | R | P | NA | NA | 1 | 2.9 | 4.6 | 1.7 | 20 | 5 | 34 | 31 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 701 | 222 | 83 | 35 | 38 | 143 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 943 | 1 | 103 | NA | NA | NA | 3.20 | 1.11 | 3.59 |
| Jones | Sam | R | R | P | NA | NA | 1 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 14 | 20 | 36 | 34 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 725 | 175 | 110 | 22 | 185 | 198 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 1070 | 1 | 118 | NA | NA | NA | 4.10 | 1.49 | 4.38 |
| Johnson | Connie | R | R | P | NA | NA | 0 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 7 | 4 | 17 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 297 | 95 | 38 | 5 | 52 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 436 | 0 | 40 | NA | NA | NA | 3.45 | 1.48 | 3.18 |
| Black | Joe | R | R | P | NA | NA | 0 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 6 | 2 | 38 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 353 | 121 | 53 | 14 | 30 | 63 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 501 | 15 | 63 | NA | NA | NA | 4.05 | 1.28 | 3.61 |
Bullpen
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IPouts | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | IBB | WP | HBP | BK | BFP | GF | R | SH | SF | GIDP | ERA | WHIP | FIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santiago | Jose | R | R | P | NA | NA | 0 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 31 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 146 | 6 | 11 | NA | NA | NA | 2.48 | 1.38 | 3.35 |
| Donoso | Lino | L | L | P | NA | NA | 0 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 4 | 6 | 25 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 285 | 106 | 56 | 16 | 35 | 38 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 418 | 10 | 58 | NA | NA | NA | 5.31 | 1.48 | 4.89 |
| Clarke | Webbo | L | L | P | NA | NA | 0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 17 | 11 | 2 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 93 | 5 | 11 | NA | NA | NA | 4.65 | 1.46 | 4.72 |
| Trice | Bob | R | R | P | RF | NA | 0 | -0.3 | -0.5 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 2 | 13 | NA | NA | NA | 9.00 | 2.00 | 8.97 |
| Thurman | Bob | L | L | OF | P | NA | 0 | -0.4 | -0.2 | 0.2 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Vargas | Roberto | L | L | P | NA | NA | 0 | -1.4 | -0.4 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 74 | 39 | 24 | 4 | 14 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 128 | 7 | 25 | NA | NA | NA | 8.74 | 2.15 | 5.24 |
Catcher
Catcher is pretty well set when you have Roy Campanella on the team. And, having Elston Howard as the backup is pretty damn impressive too. The 1955 season was actually Elston Howard’s first MLB season when he became the first Black player for the New York Yankees. A full 8 years after their fellow New York team the Brooklyn Dodgers brought up Jackie Robinson and 6 years after the New York Giants played Hank Thompson and Monte Irvin.
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR | G | AB | R | H | X1B | X2B | X3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | IBB | HBP | SH | SF | GIDP | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campanella | Roy | R | R | C | NA | NA | 1 | 5.2 | 5.7 | 0.5 | 123 | 446 | 81 | 142 | 89 | 20 | 1 | 32 | 107 | 2 | 3 | 56 | 41 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 0.395 | 0.583 | 0.978 |
| Howard | Elston | R | R | C | LF | 1B | 0 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 97 | 279 | 33 | 81 | 56 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 36 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0.336 | 0.477 | 0.813 |
First Base
I chose Jackie Robinson for 1B because his other positions, 2B and 3B, were pretty well covered but his positional versatility provides great utility. And, while Banks was eventually known for being the Cubs 1B, in 1955 he predominantly played SS.
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR | G | AB | R | H | X1B | X2B | X3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | IBB | HBP | SH | SF | GIDP | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robinson | Jackie | R | R | 2B | 3B | 1B | 0 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 105 | 317 | 51 | 81 | 65 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 36 | 12 | 3 | 61 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 0.378 | 0.363 | 0.741 |
| Banks | Ernie | R | R | 1B | SS | NA | 1 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 0.4 | 154 | 596 | 98 | 176 | 94 | 29 | 9 | 44 | 117 | 9 | 3 | 45 | 72 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 0.345 | 0.596 | 0.941 |
| Aaron | Henry | R | R | RF | 1B | NA | 1 | 6.2 | 5.9 | 0.3 | 153 | 602 | 105 | 189 | 116 | 37 | 9 | 27 | 106 | 3 | 1 | 49 | 61 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 20 | 0.366 | 0.540 | 0.906 |
Second Base
I know Larry Doby wasn’t predominantly a second-baseman, but as I stated earlier, I used positions that these players played at other points in their careers. I wanted Doby as a starter and this was the position that best worked due to the amount of talent in the outfield. Although, I think any team would be happy with Gene Baker or 1953 NL Rookie of the Year Jim Gilliam at second.
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR | G | AB | R | H | X1B | X2B | X3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | IBB | HBP | SH | SF | GIDP | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doby | Larry | L | R | CF | 2B | NA | 1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 0.5 | 131 | 491 | 91 | 143 | 95 | 17 | 5 | 26 | 75 | 2 | 0 | 61 | 100 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0.369 | 0.505 | 0.874 |
| Baker | Gene | R | R | 2B | 3B | SS | 1 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 154 | 609 | 82 | 163 | 116 | 29 | 7 | 11 | 52 | 9 | 7 | 49 | 57 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 3 | 14 | 0.323 | 0.392 | 0.715 |
| Gilliam | Jim | B | R | 2B | 3B | LF | 0 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 147 | 538 | 110 | 134 | 99 | 20 | 8 | 7 | 40 | 15 | 15 | 70 | 37 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 8 | 0.341 | 0.355 | 0.696 |
| Robinson | Jackie | R | R | 2B | 3B | 1B | 0 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 105 | 317 | 51 | 81 | 65 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 36 | 12 | 3 | 61 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 0.378 | 0.363 | 0.741 |
Third Base
I had a debate as to whether I’d have Al Smith or Minnie Minoso here. Funny enough, these players were famously traded for each other in 1957 in a very unpopular trade with Chicago fans due to Minoso’s popularity.
I decided on having Al Smith as the starter because his outfield defensive versatility provides a good backup across the outfield, while Minnie could be a starter in the outfield.
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR | G | AB | R | H | X1B | X2B | X3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | IBB | HBP | SH | SF | GIDP | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith | Al | R | R | OF | 3B | NA | 1 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 0.3 | 154 | 607 | 123 | 186 | 133 | 27 | 4 | 22 | 77 | 11 | 6 | 93 | 77 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 0.407 | 0.473 | 0.880 |
| Minoso | Minnie | R | R | LF | 3B | NA | 0 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 0.4 | 139 | 517 | 79 | 149 | 106 | 26 | 7 | 10 | 70 | 19 | 8 | 76 | 43 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 18 | 0.387 | 0.424 | 0.811 |
| Baker | Gene | R | R | 2B | 3B | SS | 1 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 154 | 609 | 82 | 163 | 116 | 29 | 7 | 11 | 52 | 9 | 7 | 49 | 57 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 3 | 14 | 0.323 | 0.392 | 0.715 |
| Gilliam | Jim | B | R | 2B | 3B | LF | 0 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 147 | 538 | 110 | 134 | 99 | 20 | 8 | 7 | 40 | 15 | 15 | 70 | 37 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 8 | 0.341 | 0.355 | 0.696 |
| Robinson | Jackie | R | R | 2B | 3B | 1B | 0 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 105 | 317 | 51 | 81 | 65 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 36 | 12 | 3 | 61 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 0.378 | 0.363 | 0.741 |
Shortstop
I don’t have much to say here other than Ernie Banks is too good not to start.
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR | G | AB | R | H | X1B | X2B | X3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | IBB | HBP | SH | SF | GIDP | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banks | Ernie | R | R | 1B | SS | NA | 1 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 0.4 | 154 | 596 | 98 | 176 | 94 | 29 | 9 | 44 | 117 | 9 | 3 | 45 | 72 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 0.345 | 0.596 | 0.941 |
| Baker | Gene | R | R | 2B | 3B | SS | 1 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 154 | 609 | 82 | 163 | 116 | 29 | 7 | 11 | 52 | 9 | 7 | 49 | 57 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 3 | 14 | 0.323 | 0.392 | 0.715 |
Left Field
As I said earlier, it was a debate whether I’d start Minnie Minoso here or 3B. I decided LF because of Smith’s defensive versatility and Minoso predominantly playing in left field.
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR | G | AB | R | H | X1B | X2B | X3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | IBB | HBP | SH | SF | GIDP | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minoso | Minnie | R | R | LF | 3B | NA | 0 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 0.4 | 139 | 517 | 79 | 149 | 106 | 26 | 7 | 10 | 70 | 19 | 8 | 76 | 43 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 18 | 0.387 | 0.424 | 0.811 |
| Smith | Al | R | R | OF | 3B | NA | 1 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 0.3 | 154 | 607 | 123 | 186 | 133 | 27 | 4 | 22 | 77 | 11 | 6 | 93 | 77 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 0.407 | 0.473 | 0.880 |
| Thompson | Hank | L | R | 3B | OF | 2B | 0 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 135 | 432 | 65 | 106 | 75 | 13 | 1 | 17 | 63 | 2 | 2 | 84 | 56 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 0.367 | 0.398 | 0.765 |
| Gilliam | Jim | B | R | 2B | 3B | LF | 0 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 147 | 538 | 110 | 134 | 99 | 20 | 8 | 7 | 40 | 15 | 15 | 70 | 37 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 8 | 0.341 | 0.355 | 0.696 |
| Amoros | Sandy | L | L | LF | NA | NA | 0 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 119 | 388 | 59 | 96 | 63 | 16 | 7 | 10 | 51 | 10 | 5 | 55 | 45 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 0.347 | 0.402 | 0.749 |
Centre Field
Any chance you get to start Mays, you start Mays. He’s the GOAT.
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR | G | AB | R | H | X1B | X2B | X3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | IBB | HBP | SH | SF | GIDP | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mays | Willie | R | R | CF | NA | NA | 1 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 0.1 | 152 | 580 | 123 | 185 | 103 | 18 | 13 | 51 | 127 | 24 | 4 | 79 | 60 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 0.400 | 0.659 | 1.059 |
| Bruton | Billy | L | R | CF | NA | NA | 0 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 0.0 | 149 | 636 | 106 | 175 | 124 | 30 | 12 | 9 | 47 | 25 | 11 | 43 | 72 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.325 | 0.403 | 0.728 |
| Doby | Larry | L | R | CF | 2B | NA | 1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 0.5 | 131 | 491 | 91 | 143 | 95 | 17 | 5 | 26 | 75 | 2 | 0 | 61 | 100 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0.369 | 0.505 | 0.874 |
| Smith | Al | R | R | OF | 3B | NA | 1 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 0.3 | 154 | 607 | 123 | 186 | 133 | 27 | 4 | 22 | 77 | 11 | 6 | 93 | 77 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 0.407 | 0.473 | 0.880 |
Right Field
And last but not least, “Hammer” Henry Aaron! How can you not have him in your outfield? One of the greatest hitters ever. Interestingly, he was almost on the Giants with Willie Mays, but chose Milwaukee as they offered $50 a month more. What could have been.
| lastname | firstname | Bat | Throw | pos1 | pos2 | pos3 | allstar | bWAR | fWAR | difWAR | G | AB | R | H | X1B | X2B | X3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | IBB | HBP | SH | SF | GIDP | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron | Henry | R | R | RF | 1B | NA | 1 | 6.2 | 5.9 | 0.3 | 153 | 602 | 105 | 189 | 116 | 37 | 9 | 27 | 106 | 3 | 1 | 49 | 61 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 20 | 0.366 | 0.540 | 0.906 |
| Thompson | Hank | L | R | 3B | OF | 2B | 0 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 135 | 432 | 65 | 106 | 75 | 13 | 1 | 17 | 63 | 2 | 2 | 84 | 56 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 0.367 | 0.398 | 0.765 |
| Smith | Al | R | R | OF | 3B | NA | 1 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 0.3 | 154 | 607 | 123 | 186 | 133 | 27 | 4 | 22 | 77 | 11 | 6 | 93 | 77 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 0.407 | 0.473 | 0.880 |
Closing Notes
I’m not sure what to say here that I haven’t already said. The lack of pitching depth creates issues that means this probably wouldn’t be a fieldable team for a full season. For a few games? Yeah. And, I think they’d win those.
But damn. These guys are good.
This also reiterates that in order for Black players to be included on MLB rosters they had to be the best-of-the-best. It also reiterates what was said about MLB teams plundering the Negro Leagues teams for their stars. A major contributing factor to the decline in data collection around the Negro Leagues and the eventual collapse of the leagues.
I had a simultaneous fun-time and frustrating-time in doing this post. Fun because it was great to see who ended up being on this team and I learned some new CSS and HTML stuff in making tables. Frustrating because while, for sure, baseball is “just” a game, the circumstances surrounding these individuals are a reminder of the racism and other socioeconomic injustices that permeate all levels of society and continue to plague us.
But damn. These guys are good.
